If you’ve heard horror stories about designers and their clients bickering like siblings over tile samples and paint swatches, imagine what the process would be like if your decorator were actually your big brother. It's true that, for designer Charlie Ferrer and his younger sister Annie, overhauling her apartment on Fifth Avenue was definitely not a typical project. But unlike those nightmare scenarios, the two managed to successfully collaborate on her one-bedroom rental without too much sibling rivalry getting in the way.

Annie, a recent grad from Columbia University’s MBA program, nabbed her new place in an effort to officially upgrade to a grown-up apartment, and she enlisted the help of her brother to inject sophistication and personality into her first truly adult abode. The family dynamic kicked in right away, allowing Charlie to drop the formalities of a typical designer-client relationship, starting with their mode of communication.

“I was on a buying trip in Europe and started texting her about things that I thought could be foundational pieces in her new apartment,” Charlie recalls. “She gave me approvals remotely, and that’s kind of how this whole project got its momentum.” But despite their relaxed exchanges, Annie didn’t shy away from making her opinions known. Charlie had to step a little outside his creative comfort zone to assemble a collection of fun, feminine furnishings that suited his sister’s quirky spirit. “She wanted pattern and color, and some idiosyncratic cheekiness to it, and that’s different from me,” he admits. “I’m a little more serious and formal when it comes to design sensibility, so I had to make room for these gestures that spoke to her.”

Read on for eight lessons to be learned from Charlie, who not only transformed the plain rental into a playful apartment for his little sister, but did it all while keeping the budget under control.

1. Resist the urge to shop from catalogs.

It can be tempting to head to popular stores to fill your empty apartment, but Charlie generally steered clear of mainstream brands to give Annie's place a unique look. “Everything is special, whether it’s a flea market find or something we bought at auction,” he says. Several vintage items and custom contemporary furnishings came from the gallery program within Charlie's firm, including the Cameron Mattis photo hanging in Annie’s front entryway.

Photo: Kyle Knodell

2. Make the right investments.

Even with a budget in mind, a few thoughtful splurges are totally worth it. Charlie had to push Annie to make certain investments, such as a custom floor covering that ultimately unites the open-format living room with the connected dining room and office space. “It’s always interesting to be the first designer for someone,” he notes. “I tried to propose things that we could see having life in her next apartment in one way, shape, or form.” Low-cost items, like an oversize electric-blue lamp from a Design on a Dime fundraiser, coexist with the more lavish pieces. (Check out the furry Pieds de Bouc stool and David Hilliard triptych.)

Photo: Kyle Knodell

3. But remember that compromise is key.

Wary of going overboard, Charlie made some smart trade-offs that equaled major savings. “Curtains are an expensive item, always, so we spent money on them in the living room and went with simple solar shades in the bedroom,” he says. Even though those living room curtains are a bold Schumacher chintz, they play well with the other eye-catching pieces in the space, like the 1970s silk-velvet sofa, the Moroccan rug underfoot, and that gorgeous abstract tabletop.

Photo: Kyle Knodell

4. Know when to keep it simple.

While some spaces definitely boast a saturated palette, Charlie toned things down when it came to Annie’s bedroom. “She’s someone who likes to nest and who likes her space and privacy," he explains. "She wanted to come home to peace and serenity." The live-edge wooden headboard, created with Rachel Schorr of Démiurge, and calming cyanotype print by Meghann Riepenhoff above lend a decidedly relaxing vibe.

Photo: Kyle Knodell

5. Push your boundaries.

One light-filled corner of the bedroom (with a particularly killer view) really shows Charlie’s fearlessness in blending eclectic styles and materials. He paired a neutral striped rug with even bigger, bolder patterns: a vibrant framed floral print and pillows covered in mixed-and-matched fabrics that he'd hunted down in Sag Harbor. Annie rejected several options before falling in love with these textiles. “I was relying on go-to sources, but that wasn’t good enough for her,” he says.

7. Don’t be afraid to DIY.

Small style upgrades brought basic pieces throughout the apartment to new heights. Take the ULINE bookshelf in Annie's office, which received a spritz of white spray paint on the outside and new walnut shelves on the inside. Stacks and stacks of books make the work space—complete with a pink velvet mohair Eames chair—feel extra cozy.

Photo: Kyle Knodell

8. Embrace a little whimsy.

A candylike glass Lollipop pendant from Lasvit is just one of several pink moments that don't take themselves too seriously. “In many ways, this feels connected to my first apartment in New York, but it’s a very feminine perspective of my work,” says Charlie. “I’m really proud of it for that reason.”

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